The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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October 19, 2012

PreventionWorkz offering businesses help with training

By Phyllis Zorn, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID, Okla. — Garfield County Drug and Alcohol Coalition wants to help businesses stay out of trouble.

To that end, the coalition will offer responsible beverage service and sales training to any businesses who request the training, said Meri Spurlock, prevention specialist at PreventionWorkz Regional Prevention Center. Training emphasizes the importance of, and the process for, checking IDs and doing it on a consistent basis for anyone who appears to be under 30.

Recently, eight Enid businesses checked sold alcohol to underage patrons when two alcohol compliance checks were done.

The first check was done Oct. 9 when eight restaurants and five liquor stores were checked.

Two restaurants and three liquor stores served or sold alcohol to an underage volunteer: Buffalo Wild Wings, Napoli’s, JB Liquor Store, Crosstown Discount Liquor and The Liquor Cabinet. Establishments that did not sell/serve to the volunteer were Callahan’s Pub and Grill, Rendezvous Club and Cafe, Chili’s, Costello’s, El Chico, Applebee’s, Koehn Liquor Store and Buck’s Wine and Spirits.

The second was Oct. 16 when five restaurants, one club, one convenience store, one grocery store and five liquor stores were checked.

Establishments that sold/ served to an underage volunteer were PaneVino, Sakura and Classic Club. Those establishments that did not were Buffalo Wild Wings, On the Sidewalk Bar and Grill, Callahan’s Pub and Grill, Happy Hour Liquor Store, Norma J’s, Brookside Liquor Store, Sundance Wine and Spirits, Holding’s Bottle Shop, Jumbo Foods II and Lucky Food Mart.  

The compliance checks were done by Garfield County Drug and Alcohol Coalition, Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission and Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

An agent with ABLE issued citations to servers and businesses that sold alcohol to customers under 21.

“We want Garfield County to be a safe place to live and to raise families, and for that to happen we must lower our percentage of underage drinking,” Spurlock said. “I don’t believe that anyone intended to serve or sell liquor to these two youth volunteers. In every instance they either did not ask for ID or were unaware of the correct procedure for checking the ID.”

For more information about the training, call PreventionWorkz at (580) 234-1046.

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